After thousands of complaints were ignored by county officials and judicial performance for years, a group of citizens, reporters and lawyers uncovered what the courts in Santa Ana would not.

Now, over 600 cases in traffic court are under review amid suspicions that someone was paid to fix DUI and other traffic violations by falsifying court records.

The FBI is involved in cases that county officials and judicial performance had ignored for years.

Members of that group are now turning to family court issues in Santa Clara County.

There is strong evidence that shows family courts in Silicon Valley are improperly charging fees, misusing court files and calendars and are imposing unlawful orders on litigants in family court that violate due process, free speech, parental rights, equal protection laws and property issues.

A former research assistant to the judges in Sunnyvale has been horrified by the conduct. Court staff whistleblowers are encouraging more staff members to speak up, while protections for whistleblowers is underway.

Counties were warned over this issue decades ago, with the Elkins Task Force, and they did nothing. Just like the traffic court scandal in Santa Ana, only family court may be worse.